


Coffee Sophistication

by Muse92



Series: One Shot Saturdays [2]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 16:56:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5256260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muse92/pseuds/Muse92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: <br/>"You're really short and cute and buy a cup of black coffee every morning but you make weird faces as you sip it and you never finish your drink are you trying to mature or something" AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Sophistication

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NerdLife23](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdLife23/gifts).



> Hi Guys, 
> 
> another One Shot Saturday for you all   
> enjoy :)

There’s just something about coffee, whether it be the warmth spreading through bodies as they sip on hot drinks or the way the smell of coffee washes over when entering a coffee shop. Whatever the reason you have long since stopped noticing it, working in a cafe tends to do that.

You can no longer smell the coffee, desensitized to it. The smell hangs around your body and though you cannot smell it yourself know it’s there, you knows it follows you home. The taste of coffee does nothing for you anymore either, you drink enough of it these days that it’s like water.

The customers aren’t any different, the regulars never stray from their usual drinks and any new face that passes by gives away their wants before they even get a chance to get to the counter to order. You’re the best in the store, knowing everyone’s order and can be half way to making it by the time they are ready to pay.

It’s a quiet morning, only a few regulars have popped into the shops but you doesn’t blame those who haven’t, there’s a pretty bad storm coming today and the snow is beginning to fall already. You try to keep busy, wiping the counter for what feels like the hundredth time today.

A blast of cold air runs through the room as the front door open as someone walks in, so covered in jackets and scarves you can’t tell who is beneath it all to get their order started. They come all the way up to the counter before removing several scarves and beanie.

Your breath gets caught, blaming it on the surprise of seeing just how small the person beneath all those clothes is, and not how cute the girl is. She loses almost several inches of height once she gets her beanie and scarf off only adding to her adorableness with the contrast of her size and the bulkiness of the clothing she wears. It’s not even that cold yet. The tiny girl stares at the menu on the board behind the counter, she’s never been here before so it’s not unusual, but you’re thinking she will order something ridiculously sweet. Something with caramel or vanilla.

The girl’s eyes flash to your name badge as she decides at last what she wants.

 “Hi,” she glances down at the name badge again. “Carmilla,” she bites her bottom lip, as if unsure of what she wants to say. “Can I get just a black coffee please?”

You try to hide your surprise at her order, it has been a very long time that you have been so wrong in your thoughts. People rarely surprise you, especially with something like coffee. Customers tend to have an air about them that matches their coffee choice. This girl, with her bright smile and rosy cheeks, does not suit a plain black coffee but you nod your head anyway, grabbing a take away cup from beside the register.

“Name?” you ask, the tip of your maker hanging just above the cup. You glance up at her, she is really cute. Her smile seems to get brighter and she leans closer to you as if her name were a secret.

“Laura,” she says excitedly and you can’t help the smile you feel pulling at the corner of your lips.

You scrawl her name across the cup, “Alrighty Laura, that’ll be 3.50.”

Laura, the name suits her. More so than the coffee she’s ordered.

She passes you the money and you let her know you’ll bring it out to her. It’s a slow day and taking out orders helps to kill some time. You watch her as she turns on the spot, her eyes taking in the cafe slowly and she moves back towards the front of the store, to the bench that lines the window beside the door.

The cafe you work at is close to the local university so you tend to gets lots of students through the doors, and as Laura pulls a laptop out of her bag and a notebook you think she must be one. You’ve never see her around the university but you take all your classes as late as possible so unless she were in one of your classes you doubt you would see her there.

The machine splutters to life under your touch, a fresh cup of coffee created in your hands. You’re so tempted to just add a few drops of syrup to her drink, you still can’t believe this is the drink she wants but she did pay for it so you decide against it.

Laura has an empty word document open on her computer and the notebook next to it was filled with her looped writing. You place the coffee beside the book and she looks up at you, her smile ever present and eyes bright.

“Thank you Carmilla.”

You shrug your shoulders, it really wasn’t a problem and head back over to the counter. You take a seat behind the counter and pull out one of your readings for the week, it should stay fairly quiet today.

A coughing fit comes from Laura’s direction and you look up just in time to see her put her cup back down on the bench, her face scrunched up in distaste. You smirk, you knew she wouldn’t like it. She doesn’t come back to counter though to order a different drink. She simply continues slowly sipping at the cup. Her nose scrunches up every time she brings the cup to her face and her eyebrows knit together as she puts the cup back down.

The reading for this week is boring and Laura provides you with much more entertainment. She stays for 20 minutes and in that time manages to fill her blank document but the cup you go to collect when she is out of the shop is nowhere near empty.

 

* * *

 

 

Laura comes in the next morning, and every morning for the rest of the week, and orders a regular cup of black coffee.

She doesn’t seem to enjoy it any better the longer she drinks it. In fact, you think her facial expressions get more ridiculous every day. By the end of the first week of lack coffee her whole body reacts to the liquid hitting her tongue. Her shoulder tense as she raises the cup to her lips, her nose already scrunched before she tips the cup, her eyes squeezing shut as she takes a small sip of the drink. A shiver runs down her spine, almost as if it followed the liquid on its way down her throat.

Laura takes the same seat every morning, right by the window, and types away at on her laptop while thoroughly _not_ enjoying her drinks. You really don’t understand why she does it, spending all this money on a drink she doesn’t like and can barely stomach finishing.

You won’t complain that she is here, she is adorable and watching her attempt some kind of sophistication with a drink has really been the highlight of your week. Between your regular, boring customers and your late classes Laura has created a bright spot in your day.

She runs over to the counter her smile bright, she doesn’t bother ordering now as you have her cup ready for her when she gets to the counter. She reaches forward for the cup, her 10th cup from you but you keep your hand on the top of the cup has her fingers wrap around the base.

“Are you sure you don’t want something else cutie?” you ask her, slowly releasing the cup from your grasp.

She looks up at you, her smile dropping slightly as she considers you her. Her head falls to the left and her smiles returns to its normal size, a quiet laugh escaping her lips.

“Yep,” she pops the end of the word and turns towards her regular seat.

She deflates in her seat, throwing a frustrated glance at her coffee.

You shake your head in her direction, wondering just how long she can keep this up before she finally changes her mind and orders something she’ll like.

 

* * *

 

 

She’s a later than normal today and she looks so frazzled as she enters, ripping her scarf and jacket from her body.

“Hey,” she puffs out once she reaches the counter breathing hard.

“Hey, black coffee?” you ask already knowing the answer.

Her face falls, an actual pout appearing, and she sighs nodding her head.

 You head over to the machine, a cup ready in your hands to be filled.

“So tell me cutie, why the black coffee?” you look over at her. “You clearly don’t enjoy it.”

She sighs again, “It’s Laura. And is it really that obvious?”

“Right, Laura. You make the most ridiculous faces when you sip it, its adorable.” Her drink is ready and you pass her the cup, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “So why the black coffee? You look more like a vanilla or caramel syrup kind of girl.”

She laughs, bitterly. “Normally I would be all over a Caramel Macchiato.” She takes the cup from the counter and takes a step backwards. “But, I don’t know, it seems kind of silly, but a few people in my journalism course said real journalists survive on black coffee alone.” She shrugs, taking another step backwards. “That only childish people drink the sugary drinks I like.” Her smile falters entirely “so figured I should get used to it.” She turns and walks to the front bench, taking her usual spot.

At that moment youve never hated anybody more in your life, and you don’t even know who those people were, its like looking at a kicked puppy as Laura tries once more to sip at the coffee she clearly doesn’t enjoy. You grab another cup off the counter, making a caramel macchiato and take it over to her.

“Firstly, coffee is coffee and you shouldn’t let other people tell you how you should drink it. It won’t detract from your career to put a little caramel syrup in your coffee.” She’s smiling at you, taking the cup from your hand. “Whoever those people are they’re pretention idiots that could really you a punch to the face.”

She laughs at that and takes a big gulp of her new drink. Her eyes closed and a smiles spreads over her face.

“See, coffee is meant to be enjoyed cutie, not something to suffer through.” You turn and head back to the counter, the black coffee in your hand.

“Thanks Carm,” she calls to you. You tell yourself the smile on your face is not from the nickname she just gave you.

Watching Laura try to drink black coffee has been an entertaining venture but you think her with coffee she actually likes is better. She hums in approval every now and then, loud enough for you to hear, her smile wider and brighter than you have seen yet. It makes the bright spot she is that much better.

She packs up like usual but heads over to you before leaving, her step a little hesitant.

“I actually finished the coffee today,” she laughs.

“Makes a difference when you like what you’re drinking,” and you laugh along with her.

She shuffles awkwardly on the spot, one hand rubbing at the back of her neck. “Thanks again Carm, I know I was being silly with the whole thing.”

You just shrug your shoulders, your smile growing. “It’s really no big deal.”

She lapses into silence but doesn’t make any move to leave, her eyes dart around the room, always flicking back to your face before flying in another direction. You lean over the counter slightly, an eyebrow raised in question to her.

“Umm, do you maybe want to go out sometime. Like for coffee or something but obviously not here, and maybe not even coffee. You must be sick of coffee.” She nervous, her words spilling from her lips at an alarming rate.

“Laura.” You grab her attention with a word, her voice falling silent. “I would like that very much.”

You grab a napkin from beside the register and write your number down for her.

Her face is flushed but her eyes shine as she takes the napkin from you, almost tripping in her rush to leave the shop.

“Great. I’ll... umm, call you.” She reaches the door, her hand grasping wildly behind her back for the handle. “I have a... class I’m late for.”

You smile, nodding your head. “See you round, cutie.” You call after her.


End file.
